Running Tips and links

coming soon~

Races & Reviews

Race Recaps:

Recaps of the races I've run so far. I hope to add many, many more to the list!

• Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
• Semana Nautica 15K
• McConnell's Ice Cream Endurance Events - 10K
  
• Maui Half Marathon
• Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon
• UCSB Recreational Sports 32nd Annual Turkey Trot 10K
• Santa Barbara International Marathon
• LA Marathon Expo + Pre-Race, and The Race
• Gold Coast Ride for Literacy 56 miles
• XTERRA Malibu Creek Challenge Trail Run 14 miles
• San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
  
• Long Beach Sprint Triathlon
• Hermosa Beach Triathlon
• CSULB Pyramid 5K Run

Product Reviews:

• Mizuno Wave Elixir 4 Shoe Review
• CW-X Compression Running Tights
• Nathan Handheld Water Bottle
• Keen Bree Flip Flops
• SpiBelt
• Slim Walk Compression Socks
  
• Nike Air Pegasus +26 Shoe Review
• Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes Book Review
• O.N.E Coconut Water
• Honey Stinger Energy Chews
• Carb Boom! Apple Cinnamon Energy Gel
• Asics Gel-Nimbus 11 Shoe Review
  
• Facial Care Products (Murad SPF 30 Moisturizer, Olay Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin, Neutrogena Acne Stress Control, Creme de la Mer, Olay Age-Defying Nighttime Moisturizer)
  
• More coming soon!!
  
  

Interview at Runner's Lounge

• Check out my 15 minutes of fame over at RL here
  

Favorite Training Products

Please note, this page is ever-evolving

These are products I bought with my own $ and products I absolutely couldn't do without!

1. Nathan Handheld Water Bottle (image source)You can read my full review here. This bottle has had so much use it's getting quite battered, but it's holding up excellently! Being adequately hydrated is CRUCIAL when long distance running. It can get quite hot here in CA, so having hydration is important. This bottle fits nice and snug in my hand (I hardly notice it while running) and holds 22 ounces of liquid. The pocket it also convenient; I can stuff 2.5 packs of Clif Shot blocks in there. It's also a great place to stash keys/credit card/ID when you run. You can buy one here.
   
   
   
2. The Recovery Sock
   
   
   
   I used to get shin splints, and these socks helped a lot. I run in them for my long runs (13 plus miles), and slip them on whenever my shins hurt, feel tired, or my ankles are swelling (from work or from exercise). I often sleep in them before a big race (I have two pairs). I will also wear them on the bike, esp if I am doing a brick workout. They can be purchased online here, but they are often at marathon Expos. Plus, the guys working the expos are super friendly!
   
   
3. Garmin 305This one's pretty self explanatory. I love my Garmin. I can't imagine running or riding my bike without it. Tells me pace, HR, calories burned, distance, etc. I can program when I want it to beep, when to do intervals, etc. Definitely kicked up my training up a notch. Also great for racing so you know exactly where you are in the race; if you need to slow down, pick up the pace, etc. And for less than $150.00, I think its the best deal out there. I honestly don't see the point in getting the $400+ ones; I mean, I'm not competing to win the Ironman or anything!
4. Salonpas Pain Relief PatchI absolutely LOVE these things. So. Very. Much. So much better and longer lasting than any of those muscle rub creams/gels/lotions and potions. Just a flexible, nude colored patch that sticks on your skin to provide long lasting relief to sore muscles, tired muscles, knotted muscles. I often sleep with one on my right shoulder/shoulder blade area. When I wake up, I feel SO much better. Or, when my ITB flares up a little bit, I will slap it onto my quad. The smell is minimal and not offensive. The adhesives work well, and as long as you don't try to shower in it, it will stay on. I love these things! And SOOOO much better than popping multiple ibuprofen pills!
5. Foam Roller
   
   
   

   The best $25 I ever spent. Saved my legs!
   
   
   
6. O.N.E. Coconut Water (image source)
   I especially like the guava flavor. Coconut water is like, Nature's Sports Drink. When I can afford it, this is my hydration of choice for my runs. You can read my review of coconut water here. For more information about the benefits of coconut water check out their website.
7. Ear Plugs (image source)
   
   
   
   So unassuming yet so incredibly effective. Can't swim without it.
8. Body Glide (image source)
   Unless you like inner-thigh blisters.... or worse! I highly suggest applying this product liberally. EVERYWHERE. Including nips. Trust me. You can learn more at their website. For the Bike, I use a cream called Chamois Butt'r Eurostyle. I bought it on Amazon.com. It works well, and it has a slight cooling menthol sensation. When I am out of Body Glide, I will use the Chamois Butt'r on my runs.
   
   
   
9. Duct TapeYah. Duct Tape. This will save your life if you get blisters on your feet. And trust me. You will get blisters. What you do is this:
   
   • Cover blister with a piece of plastic bag, just slightly larger than your blister (I cut out pieces from a Ziploc bag, or just those white plastic bags from the grocery store)
   • Cut out a piece of paper towel twice as long as your blister and fold it in half
     
   • Place over plastic over blister
   • Secure in place with duct tape
     The measurements do NOT have to be precise at all. Just eyeball it. The whole process should take a max of two min. And this stuff works. It has gotten me through numerous painful blisters. Good luck!
     
10. More coming soon
    
    

About Me

About Me:

I'm basically just a work in progress :)

As is my running. I can go from wholeheartedly believing I could run across the country to pathetically limping through a 3 mile run in the same heartbeat.

I never thought I would be a runner, but started running seriously back in early 2009. I thought training for a Half Marathon would be a great way to get out of my quarter-life crisis rut! (you can read more here) The thought of training for such a huge challenge was an enormous adrenaline rush. Could I really do it? Could a non-runner like me actually complete the whole 13.1 miles? It seemed like a monumental task; I mean, heck! That's 13.1 painful effing miles! The first time I ran for a whole hour I damn nearly collapsed, and the first time I ran 8 miles I felt like my legs would fall off.

It hurt like heck sometimes, but I knew I would be even deeper in my rut if I didn't finish! With nothing but dogged determination and just sheer naivete, I ran every last step of the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon in May. And started this blog.

And boy have I learned a lot since then! Who knew you had to eat while running? I thought the whole purpose of running was so that you can pig out later! And who knew about crotch burns? And compression tights? And electrolytes?

The blogging community has been such an inspiration and a wealth of knowledge. Soon after my first HM, I got inspired to train for my first full marathon.

26.2 miles!!!!!!

aldkfsidofuownsdlfsoidu! 26.2 miles! gaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

It was thrilling and terrifying all at once. 26.2 miles! Who was the genius that thought "hey! why not have a race and put the finish line 26 miles away?"

But once I decide to do things, I have an inability to give it any less than 100%. Training hurt like hell. I got tendinitis and ITB issues. I hated it. I loved it. I laughed. I cried. I screamed. I doubted.

But on December 6, 2009, I ran every darned step of the Santa Barbara International Marathon. (you can read about it here)

Booya! :)

Let me repeat.

Boo-YAH!

But my running journey's not over yet! I know more exciting races and PRs lie ahead. And my goal is to enter the world of triathlons as well. If you want to get me a sick road bike, (or a wetsuit) I always accept donations. :)

So I want to say thank you for stopping by my little blog and reading about my training. It's readers like you who give me the motivation, encouragement, and wise advice I need to keep at this crazy sport of putting one foot in front of the other.

This blog is a work in progress, just like my running and my life. Thank you for sharing it with me :) And if you feel so inclined to leave a comment, it will brighten my day :)

20 Random tidbits about me:

1. I grew up in Tokyo (read about my Japan chronicles here and here)
2. I am a proud hapa :)
   
3. I have so far run 3 HM, 3 10Ks, one 15K, and one full marathon!
4. I will freak out if I don't have vaseline. It is the best lip balm ever
5. You should hide your chocolate from me because I will eat it all!
6. Hawai'i is my most favorite place in the world and I want to live there NOW!
7. My brother and I went to the same university
8. I seriously need a personal shopper as I have a non-existent sense of style. Do running shoes count as fashion? If you want to be my personal shopper, please help me out!
   
9. I will not drink milk. I hate it so much I have to eat my cereal dry. But I love yogurt, cheese and ice cream.
10. I have never met a cheese I don't like
11. I have never met a chocolate I don't like
    
12. I am half Scandinavian
13. I speak English and Japanese
14. I absolutely cannot stand to be late! It must be the Tokyo upbringing
15. On pizzas, I only like the crust
16. Reggae music soothes my soul
17. The Today Show if my favorite TV show. If I could work for the Today Show.... well I would probably crap my pants in joy!
18. I cried watching Harry Potter. Who does that?
19. Jimmy is my favorite favorite
20. I am a huge dork but I hope you enjoy my blog!